Today's News

Fanning Springs Fire Chief Roy Bass applauded his fire department for their work during Hurricane Irma that struck the area during the early morning hours of Sept. 11. He there were no missed calls and no fatalities during Hurricane Irma.

“I want to applaud my guys. They did an outstanding job,” Bass said.

The chief made his comment during the Oct. 3 meeting Fanning Springs City Council.

Aside from the hurricane, September was a busy month for the fire department. Bass said his crew has been scavenging viable parts from the old pumper for use on newer vehicles. He showed the council new uniforms and bunker gear.

The gear is considerably lighter and functional, as well as offering additional features to assist these men in doing their job.

Mayor Tripp Lancaster echoed Bass’ gratitude to the fire department for their part during the storm.

“Thank you to my guys in the fire department for all their hard work and everything they did. We were on the road at 8 a.m., as soon as we were legally allowed, fantastic job guys.”

LARC is a chapter of the national ARC, the largest community-based national organization advocating for individuals with intellectual and or developmental disabilities.

The event begins with a motorcycle rally from Levy ARC in Otter Creek with kickstands up at 10 a.m. The motorcycle rally is free, however donations are gratefully accepted. The motorcycle ride will end at Gulf Hammock at the site of Wild Hog race. Riders are encouraged to wear Halloween Costumes.

LARC is welcoming families to attend the event in Halloween costumes or wear water-friendly attire and swing over the Waccasassa River on the zip lines.

The end of the event is planned to be family friendly, so everyone show up. There will be food and drinks available for purchase and lots of events for the family. For more detailed information contact Levy ARC at 352-486-4239 or email levyarc@bellsouth.net.

What’s in your future? What do you have to say about it? I thought I had the rest of my life all planned out. I’d grow in my career of aerospace, defense, and satellites contract management, for the next ten years. I’d continue to accumulate wealth, then retire comfortably in the sleepy suburb of Manhattan Beach, California, and enjoy the rest of my life at the beach traveling and enjoying the warm California sun. But lo; it was not to be.

Within one month, everything had been turned upside down and dumped out. I faced a divorce, lost my home, life savings, and most all my friends. I developed a repeating nightmare of everyone I knew crashing and dying in a giant 747 airplane. What a shock, when we find out our best laid plans can die overnight.

About 50 years ago (1967), my 17 classmates and me who sat in Mrs. Weber’s English class were dumfounded when she suggested there were no reasons why we shouldn’t live to see the turn of the century!

I think we all snickered a bit because it was so preposterous. There were so many reasons we shouldn’t live to see the 21st Century; first and foremost was the Vietnam War. Then there was the Mutual Assured Destruction, a military doctrine that emerged after the Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics (USSR) achieved nuclear parity with the United States. MAD reflected the idea that one country’s population could best be protected by leaving it vulnerable so long as the other side faced comparable vulnerabilities. In short: Whoever shoots first, dies second. Then, there were accidental deaths and diseases. We didn’t have a drug problem yet in my hometown, that came later after some of the boys started coming home from the war.

Veterans Appreciation Luncheon sponsored by local businesses in the Community Building at Haven Hospice, 311 NE 9th St., Chiefland, Friday, Nov. 3, at 11:30 a.m.

Please join Haven to honor and show appreciation for the community’s veterans. Lunch will be pork, baked beans, green beans, potato salad, macaroni and cheese plus desserts. The Levy County Sheriff’s Office will present the colors.

RSVP to Vondla Sullivan, volunteer coordinator in Chiefland by Oct. 31 by phone at 352-493-2333 or email to vdsullivan@beyourhaven.org.

Dr. Don Goodman, a veterinarian from of Navasota, Texas, gave a presentation on the benefits of supplemental care for beef cattle Oct. 3 at the monthly FFA Alumni meeting. Goodman, represents Multimin brand cattle supplements. The company offers an injectable supplemental source of zinc, manganese, selenium and copper.

According to the Multimin website in its Florida summary, “Sandy, low organic-matter soils have been linked to the production of forages with low trace mineral content. The organic soils in the Okeechobee basin have also been associated with the production of forages high in molybdenum which is an antagonist of copper absorption. Copper is one of the most common trace minerals to be deficient in Florida beef cows.

The Log Cabin Quilters met Thursday, Oct 12 at the Levy County Quilt Museum. After some discussion concerning how the Mohawk Trail top quilting should look, Ailien got to work making the templates. The templates will be used to mark where we want the hand stitching to go to make the quilting design. Next week we’ll sandwich the top and get it in the frame.

Derick and the guys from Lancaster were out. The yard and inside the building are looking great. Thanks guys for all you do for us.

We had several boxes of assorted craft items brought in. Thank you for thinking of us. Donations keep us open.

Cathy will be at the Cedar Key Seafood Festival this weekend. Stop by and say hello. She’ll also be doing Cane Day at Dudley Farms State Park the first Saturday in December.

Don’t forget the Backyard Pickers will be here Saturday, October 28 and not the first weekend in November. They’ll start playing about 1 PM.

The Old Sewing Machine Man will be here Wednesday, November 1 to work on your sewing machine. Debra will be teaching a class on the disappearing hourglass block.

BRONSON – First Responders with the Levy County Department of Public Safety, including seven ambulances, are now some of the best-equipped in the nation to save a pet’s life. That’s because Invisible Fence of Central Florida donated 10 pet oxygen mask kits to the department.

This donation is just a small part of Invisible Fence’s Project Breathe program, which was established with the goal of equipping every fire station in America and Canada with pet oxygen masks. These masks allow firefighters and EMS staff to give oxygen to pets who are suffering from smoke inhalation when they are rescued from fires and often save pets’ lives.

Invisible Fence has donated a total of more than 18,700 pet oxygen masks to fire stations all over the U.S. and Canada throughout the life of the program. A reported 180-plus pets have been saved by the donated masks so far, 2 dog and 1 cat most recently in Sanford, by the Sanford Fire Department.

The company has set up a website, www.invisiblefence.com/O2, where local fire personnel can make a request for their own departments.

A bird of prey soars high overhead searching for the slightest movement.

A mouse far below on the ground sees the eagle and cowers, knowing the predator is going to strike.

The predator sees its prey and begins its descent. All the while, eyes full of rage are transfixed on its victim.

The prey, confused, is unsure if she should remain motionless or run. If she remains perfectly still, then maybe he will not hurt her so much, but it infuriated him the last time she curled up in a fetal position in fear. He sensed it. Enraged, he beat her worse, but if she runs, he will stalk her like the predator hunted down the mouse.

Finally, sensing it is too late, the woman draws her body into herself and curls into a ball. He senses the vulnerability of the small, defenseless woman and goes in for the kill.

Somehow, the woman survives again, but she knows he will do it again. She tells herself that he loves her in spite of all her faults.

That is the prayer of Lawanda Jones who organized the community worship service Saturday afternoon in Eddie Buie Park. There were two speakers this year: Rev. Donnell Sanders, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Fort White, and Dennis Webber, pastor of Forward Church, located in the Winn-Dixie Shopping Plaza. Webber is also principal of Chiefland Middle High School.

Sanders spoke about lessons he learned playing football and how it applies to life. He played offensive guard on his high school team in New Jersey.

“The main thing is how to fit in properly. I learned how to fit in and play football properly and be a team member,” he said. “So many kids struggle to fit in. All of us are going to fit in somewhere, but the main thing is to fit in somewhere properly and with the help of God, and with the help of his grace, and with the help of God’s gifts he has given us, we’re able to fit in.”

He didn’t have trouble fitting in on the football team, but he had trouble fitting in in life.